Membership  ~  Management committee  ~  Meetings  ~  AGM05  ~  Further info

Growability  ~ working together, growing independence

Company Information (what is Growability??)

Growability is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (no.4624342). It was formed by the manager and assistant manager of the horticultural units at Sleekburn, Hepscott Park and Ridley Hall, and is run by staff and service users. The company runs a “design & build” garden service in the Tynedale area (Growability Garden Works). We are intending to manage and provide accredited horticultural training once funding problems have been resolved, working alongside and in partnership with the 3 horticultural units, which are managed by the Northumberland Care Trust. Other Growability-run projects are being considered. Growability can employ its own staff, and has its own bank account. It has greater commercial freedom than the horticultural units. As a not-for profit company with charitable aims, run by staff and users, Growability is in a good position to apply for grants.

Growability works alongside the three horticultural units, aiming to enhance and add to the service which they provide.  In the longer term Growability could negotiate to take over the running of the 3 horticultural units.

Full Membership of Growability is open to:

  • all staff at the three Horticultural Units, including casual staff if they are working one day per week or more
  • volunteers at the three Horticultural Units, if they are working one day per week or more
  • all service users of the three units
  • Growability employees, volunteers and service users

 

Full members are entitled to vote at the AGM and other meetings of Growability, and are entitled to be elected to the management committee.

Members are required to sign a membership application form. There is no membership subscription.

Associate Membership is open to:

·        staff, volunteers, service users, and others with an interest in the work of Growability (this could include carers)

Associate members are entitled to attend but not to vote at Growability meetings. Associate members may not be elected to the management committee.

Associate Members are required to sign a membership application form. There is no membership subscription.

 

To become a Full or an Associate Member:

Ask for an application form from Mary, Gloria, Clive or Ann (there are some at each Unit). Complete the form and return it in the envelope provided. A certificate will be returned to you when your application has been processed.

 

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Management committee

Growability is run by a management committee of up to 10 directors. The Committee meets several times a year to discuss policy, to take key decisions and to report back to the full membership. Some actions and decisions may be delegated by the Committee to individual Growability directors. The directors who make up the Management Committee and the people that currently (2006 – 2007, elected at the AGM on 28th April 2006) fill those posts are as follows (follow this link for photos of the Committee):

 

Director

Current post holder

Chief Executive (ex officio)

Clive Moon (Chair)

3 service users, one to represent each Unit:

Sleekburn HTU

HSU, Hepscott Park

THS, Ridley Hall

 

 

Alan Kielty

Paul Robinson

Derek Nixon

3 members of staff, one to represent each Unit:

Sleekburn HTU

HSU, Hepscott Park

THS, Ridley Hall

 

 

Ann Brown

Ed Parry

Karen Hemming

One additional member of staff from any Unit:

 

John McKee

Two directors co-opted from outside Growability:

A:

 

B:

 

 

Dave Barras, Northumberland Care Trust

Garry Dawson, Social Enterprise Advisor

 

The Chief Executive is an ex officio post – he or she is appointed by the management committee to run the company (not elected by the membership). The two co-opted directors may either be co-opted by the full membership at an AGM, or may be co-opted by the management committee on an annual basis. All other directors are required to stand down each year, but may be re-elected by the AGM.

 

Meetings

Growability holds one AGM and at least one other General Meeting each year. The management committee meets four or five times per year, and feeds back to Unit / Lodge meetings at each of the three Units.

People entitled to vote at an AGM or a General Meeting:

Only full members of Growability are entitled to vote at the AGM when directors are elected.

Full members plus co-opted directors are entitled to vote on other issues.

People entitled to attend the AGM or a General Meeting

All members, full and associate, are welcome to attend the AGM, along with anyone else linked with the three Units who is considering membership, or is simply interested in finding out more about the work of Growability. Carers are therefore welcome to attend.

 

People entitled to attend Management Committee meetings

All Directors of Growability, as defined above, and others by invitation of the Chair of the Management Committee. Only directors may vote.

 

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Annual General Meeting 2006

Growability held its third Annual General Meeting on Friday, 28th April 2005, 10.00am – 3.30pm at Hepscott Park, Morpeth, in the Conference Centre

 

 

Please follow this link to: AGM notice, programme for day and minutes of last meeting

 

And this link to AGM 2006 Agenda

 

 

Travelling to the AGM

We will try to match up those who have cars with those who haven’t, and some may be able to travel in on public transport. If you would like to come but need help with transport, let us know where you are coming from and we will try to help. Unfortunately Growability does not yet have funds from which to offer travelling expenses, though this is something we may wish to consider for the future.

 

 

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Further information

The idea of an independent company run by staff and users working within the Units is may still be an unfamiliar one to many people, and there may still be questions that people want to ask. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us, and we will do our best to answer them.

 

 

Clive Moon, Chief Executive, Growability – mobile 07990793453

Ann Brown, Company Secretary, Growability – mobile 07990793482

15th September 2006